


A Matter of Perspective

by Celandine



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: Community: percy_ficathon, First Time, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-06-26
Updated: 2009-06-26
Packaged: 2017-10-12 02:49:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/119948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celandine/pseuds/Celandine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anthony might be a disappointment to his parents, but not to Percy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Matter of Perspective

Anthony Goldstein knew that he was a disappointment to his parents.

His mother made no bones about her feelings. "All those years in school learning magic," she lamented, "and _what_ do you do with your life? Become a hairdresser!"

His father only sighed and shook his head, but Anthony knew he was disappointed, too.

The thing was, though, that Anthony _enjoyed_ trimming hair, and he was good at it. After the Battle of Hogwarts he had wanted to get out of the wizarding world for a while, be somewhere that he didn't have to remember any of it if he didn't want to. Attending a Muggle trade school seemed just the thing. He'd soon discovered an aptitude for hairdressing; he could run his fingers through a client's hair, assessing its characteristics, and find a hairstyle that both worked with the hair and flattered the person's face.

After several years' experience working in a Muggle salon, he felt he was ready to strike out on his own and open up a tiny shop in Diagon Alley. His return to the wizarding community, even if not in a directly magical career, was enough for his parents to be willing to help him with the startup costs. Quite soon he was doing a brisk business, and had a number of regular clients, both witches and wizards.

Some of them he remembered from his years at Hogwarts, although of course there were many older clients as well. Anthony was good at telling who would enjoy a bit of conversation with their hairdresser, and who preferred a quick clean cut with no small talk.

He also developed a sense for which wizards might share his personal inclinations. Anthony knew it was a terrible cliché, the gay hairdresser, but in his case, at any rate, it happened to be true. Eventually he had even mustered the courage to tell his parents that he preferred men.

That had actually been the first way in which he was a disappointment to them, and there had been a rocky few months while they'd grown accustomed to the notion.

By now, however, he and his parents had reached a tentative détente, which Anthony appreciated since it made it easier for him to concentrate on doing his job, as now. The bell on the shop door rang.

"Hello, Mr Weasley," he said, glancing up from the wizard whose hair he was presently clipping. "I'll be with you in just a few minutes."

Percy Weasley gave a sharp nod and seated himself to wait, balancing his briefcase on his knee and immediately pulling out a sheaf of parchment and a quill.

He was Anthony's most regular customer, coming in for a trim every fourth Thursday at ten minutes after five. On all other weekday nights Anthony saw him hurrying past at later times, or rather, he saw Percy if Percy left the Ministry by six, which was when Anthony closed up for the evening. Quite often he didn't see Percy at all.

"There you go, Mr Bobbin," he said cheerfully, and collected ten Sickles from the elderly wizard before politely bowing him out. "Now then, Mr Weasley."

Percy was one of those wizards who -- Anthony was pretty certain -- preferred men, but he was also one of those who didn't like to talk, which meant that Anthony had never managed to have the sort of conversation which would let him delicately suggest that he was interested. And he _was_ interested, no question about that. Percy Weasley might not be conventionally handsome, with his red hair and freckles and horn-rimmed spectacles, but Anthony had seen him with those concealing specs off, and he rather thought he could happily drown in Percy's blue eyes.

Percy sat in the chair. Anthony adjusted its height -- Percy was much taller than Mr Bobbin -- and then fastened the cape carefully round Percy's neck before picking up his comb and scissors.

Since Percy came in so regularly for his trim, it was not a difficult job. Anthony flicked a glance at the mirror and saw that for once Percy was not sitting there with his eyes closed, but seemed in fact to be looking back at Anthony. Maybe today a little small talk would be acceptable.

"Going anywhere interesting for your holiday this year?" he asked casually as he snipped at the nape of Percy's neck.

"I haven't really thought about it. I don't usually take all of my allotted holiday time anyhow," said Percy, his head tilted forward so that he was talking to his lap. "Can't see the point."

"Oh," Anthony said a little blankly. He hadn't taken much holiday himself since he opened the shop, but that was because with only himself working in it, he couldn't afford the loss of income. Things were looking good enough this year, though, that he thought he might close up for a week and go to the south of Spain, perhaps in April when the weather would be starting to warm up. That would still be before the season really began, so the hotels might still be on their off-season rates.

He picked up his misting bottle to dampen Percy's hair, and tried again. "I suppose work keeps you busy, too?"

Percy shrugged. "I suppose. I rather like that though."

Anthony gave up on conversation for the moment and gave his attention to finishing the haircut. He combed and snipped until Percy's hair lay in a sleek red cap, all the curling edges trimmed away. He brushed off the loose hairs and then gave Percy a hand mirror so that he could check to see how the back looked.

"Twelve Sickles," he said a little glumly. He had hoped that today he might manage to ask Percy for a drink or something, but Percy's short responses had been too off-putting.

In the act of counting out coins, Percy paused. "Er. This may not be appropriate."

"What?" Anthony had gone to fetch the broom from its corner to sweep up the floor.

"I -- an acquaintance of mine mentioned that he saw you at Psyche."

"Very possibly," agreed Anthony. Psyche was a small club with a tiny dance floor, frequented by a primarily queer wizarding clientele. Anthony wasn't exactly a _regular_ , but he did go there from time to time, and had in fact been to it the previous weekend.

A flush had appeared on Percy's face. "Good. I mean, I wondered if perhaps you'd like to go have a drink there tomorrow night?"

Anthony had to exercise a good deal of self-control to keep himself from doing a triumphant jig around the shop, although he allowed himself a wide grin. "I'd love to."

Percy looked relieved. "Shall we meet there at, say, 8.30?"

It seemed early to Anthony, but somehow it didn't surprise him that Percy would not be one for late nights. Besides, the earlier they met, the longer they'd have to spend together if they hit it off.

"Sounds good," he said. "I'll see you then."

Percy flashed a quick smile and dropped his coins into Anthony's hand before hurrying out.

Anthony didn't need to count them; Percy had never shortchanged him, and indeed Anthony suspected Percy would be horrified at the very notion. He glanced at the clock. Fifteen more minutes before he could flip the sign to 'Closed', but he could begin tidying up, save time in case any last-minute customer came in.

Eating takeaway falafel that night in his tiny kitchen, Anthony couldn't stop grinning. It wasn't as if he had trouble pulling blokes generally, but he'd fancied Percy for a long time, since school in fact. He hadn't then quite recognised his feelings for what they were, and by the time he had done Percy had left Hogwarts... so this date was a bit of old daydream come true.

8.30 tomorrow. That would give him plenty of time to get home and eat and shower and change clothes. He dressed nicely enough for work, but by the end of the day his clothes were always covered with bits of hair and fuzz and he tended to smell of the various styling products he used on the customers. He thought about what he could wear. His favourite trousers needed to be cleaned but he wouldn't have time to have that done before tomorrow night. Looking through his closet, he decided that black jeans which fit him like a second skin and an equally tight black shirt, plus the dragon hide boots and jacket that he'd saved up six months for, would be suitable.

When Anthony arrived at Psyche on Friday night, a few minutes late as he'd been tidying his flat against the chance that Percy might come back with him and hadn't realised the time, he spotted Percy immediately.

Percy had on an outfit which was clearly intended to be casual, and in fact was much more so than the formal robes in which Anthony had always seen him, but which made him stick out at Psyche like a Hungarian Horntail in a nest of Welsh Greens. He was wearing camel-coloured trousers and a light-blue oxford cloth shirt, and was sipping at a drink, looking distinctly uncomfortable. His expression relaxed when he saw Anthony.

"Sorry I'm a bit late," Anthony apologised. "Let me go get something to drink and I'll be right back."

"It's a bit noisy here, isn't it?" Percy asked when Anthony returned.

Anthony chuckled. "Not really. It'll get much louder later on, but we needn't stay here if you'd rather go somewhere else."

"Maybe." Percy shrugged and looked at the table, beginning to draw a pattern of some kind and then quickly clasping his hands around his glass again.

"You've not been here before, have you?" Anthony asked.

"No. I've heard about it, of course."

Percy's glasses had slipped down his nose. He pushed them up. The gesture seemed to give him courage, for he added abruptly, "Look, I feel as though I've asked you out under false pretences. Up till now I've only ever dated women. Maybe this was a mistake."

Anthony reached to touch Percy's wrist. "It's not a mistake for _me_. Why don't we just see how things go, all right?"

"All right." Percy swallowed. "I should explain, perhaps. Things never have worked out well for me with women, and a friend of mine -- well, more an acquaintance, but we were roommates at school -- Oliver Wood -- he suggested that maybe the reason for my difficulties with women was because I really fancied men instead. So I thought about it for a while and decided that perhaps he was right. But I'm not sure that I know what I'm supposed to _do_." His grip tightened on the glass until Anthony could see the skin drawn tight over his knuckles.

"There is no 'supposed to' in any of this," Anthony said gently. "I can't imagine it's different from dating women. You talk to the person, get to know them a bit, and then if you're attracted you go on from there. _I'm_ attracted," he added. "I've wanted to ask you out for ages, actually, but it didn't feel quite right to do so while I was trimming your hair; standing over you with a razor might have seemed a bit too threatening, you know?"

He smiled at Percy to show that he meant it jokingly, and after a moment, Percy smiled back.

"I hadn't thought about that."

Percy had finished his drink by now, and Anthony nearly had too. He said, " _Would_ you like to go somewhere else, maybe somewhere a bit quieter?"

"Where?"

"We could go to a regular restaurant and have dessert or coffee or something, or if you wouldn't feel odd about it, we could go to my flat, or to yours if you'd rather," said Anthony.

He could almost see Percy was weighing the options.

"Your flat," Percy decided, a little to Anthony's surprise. Then Percy explained. "I prefer to go to sleep early; if you were to come over to mine I'd be afraid that I might enjoy our conversation too much to be willing to tell you to leave. But an ordinary restaurant seems somehow too public."

"Fine, whatever you want," said Anthony, rising.

He didn't have much choice of drink in his flat; he'd intended to go to the off-licence on Saturday to replenish his supply. There were a few beers and the remains of a bottle of white wine that he'd had with his dinner on Wednesday and left in the fridge since.

"A glass of wine is fine," said Percy, perched on the edge of Anthony's sofa. "Er. Cheers."

They clinked glasses. Percy proved to be no more comfortable with small talk in this context than he was sitting in the barber's chair. After trying several different topics, Anthony finally said, "You said that this is the first date you've had with another wizard, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, how do you like it so far?"

Percy thought it over. "It's much more comfortable than being with a witch."

If that were so, Anthony thought, then Percy's dates with women must have been excruciatingly awkward. Nevertheless, he still thought that Percy was attractive, if he could just be persuaded to relax a little.

At 10.30 Percy said, "I really should leave. I, er, need to go to the Ministry and do some work in the morning. I often catch up on Saturdays when there's no one there to disturb me."

"I understand," said Anthony. "I have a Floo connection, if you want to use it?"

Percy nodded. "Thank you."

"I had a nice time," said Anthony as he handed Percy the container of Floo powder. He had. Awkward, to be sure, but he had enjoyed getting to know Percy a little bit better. "Would you like to do something again, maybe next week?"

"I'd like that." Percy hesitated and his face went pink.

"What is it?" Anthony asked.

"Well, I was just thinking that if I had gone out with a woman I'd probably feel that I was supposed to kiss her goodnight."

"You can if you want to, but don't feel obliged if you're not comfortable with it," Anthony said.

Percy's lips were dry against Anthony's cheek.

"Goodbye, then," and he stepped into the Floo, saying, "Percy Weasley's flat."

Anthony watched the flames die down, and then went to pour out the last half-glass of wine for himself. It wasn't all that late, but he decided not to go out again that night.

On Saturday he returned to Psyche alone and had a good time drinking and dancing and flirting. None of the wizards present appealed to him enough to go any further, but that was all right. He was looking forward to seeing Percy again.

He and Percy hadn't set a place or time or even day for their tentative next date, Anthony belatedly realised on Monday, but when he got home that evening there was a note from Percy waiting for him.

_Dear Anthony,_

_Shall we meet at my flat at 6.30 on Friday? I will make dinner reservations for us somewhere. Is there any restaurant in particular you would prefer?_

_Percy_

Anthony found a piece of parchment to write back.

_Dear Percy,_

_Friday at 6.30 sounds fine. I've no particular dinner preferences, although I'm not much for seafood except fish and chips._

_See you then,_

_Anthony_

He stopped by the Owl Post on his way to work the next morning, since he didn't send enough letters to warrant keeping an owl of his own, and handed over his note and the requisite number of Knuts. Percy ought to receive the reply that night.

The week sped by, and at the designated hour Anthony knocked at Percy's door. He could have used the Floo, he supposed, but he didn't quite like to do that when he'd never before been to Percy's flat. Percy was a formal enough bloke that Anthony felt obliged to maintain a certain level of formality himself.

Tonight he had also dressed somewhat more conservatively, not knowing what sort of restaurant Percy might have chosen: black trousers and a black polo shirt with a charcoal sport coat over it. He'd even replaced the earrings he normally wore with plain silver studs.

"Come in," said Percy, opening the door. "Would you like to have something to drink? Our dinner reservation is for 7.30."

"A drink would be lovely," said Anthony. "Whatever you're having is fine."

Percy gave him a glass of red wine. "May I ask you something?"

"Of course," said Anthony.

Percy sat down in a wing back chair which Anthony judged must be his favorite seat, since the table next to it bore a neat stack of what were clearly the books that Percy was reading. He crossed his legs at the knee. "Please, sit down."

Anthony sat on the small sofa and sipped at the wine, which was very good.

"How did you realise you were gay?" Percy asked earnestly.

Surprised, Anthony said, "I suppose I just figured it out by noticing that the people I was attracted to were all other boys, not girls. I was still in school, and whenever my dorm mates talked about the girls they fancied, I just couldn't get interested. I got plenty interested in one or two of _them_ , though, although I never did anything about it. No point, when they wouldn't have been interested in me."

"I see," said Percy slowly. "It didn't bother you, or anything, to realise you were queer?"

"A bit. I mean, it makes you different from your mates, right? And in school that's not something you want. But it wasn't as though I had any choice in the matter." Anthony shrugged.

"Does your family know?"

"Yes." Anthony bit off the word. After a moment he added, "My mum was _not_ pleased. Mostly because I'm an only child, and she wanted grandchildren. I've tried to tell her that even if I were straight, I have no interest in having kids, but she doesn't want to see that the two things are separate. She's accepted that I'm always going to choose to be with other men, but we still fight over the grandchildren issue. My dad's more relaxed about the whole thing, thankfully. What about your family?"

A muscle in Percy's cheek twitched. "I haven't said anything to any of them yet. I mean, you're the first man I've ever dated, so I don't even really know for certain if I'm gay, I'm just testing the waters as it were. Besides, I was estranged from my family for other reasons for a few years, and that's a rift that's still barely healed. I wouldn't want to risk opening it again unless it seemed necessary."

Anthony frowned slightly. "But if you _do_ decide that you're gay, you'll tell them, right?"

"I'd have to eventually, wouldn't I? Otherwise I'd have to lie to them all the time, or cut them out of my life again, and I don't want to do that. It's not always easy being part of a large family," and there Percy took a breath and Anthony remembered that Percy had lost his brother Fred at the Battle of Hogwarts, "but they're a part of me, and I'm a part of them."

"That makes sense," said Anthony. He was glad to hear that Percy didn't intend to stay in the closet forever. Anthony didn't like hiding; he hadn't come out to his own parents the first moment he realised he was gay, but he'd told them within a few months. Given their initial reaction he'd been lucky that they'd helped him attend the hairdressing school.

Percy finished his wine and glanced at the clock. "We'd better go if we don't want to miss our reservation."

"Where are we going, by the way?" Anthony asked.

"It's an Argentine restaurant called Pampas. Harry told me about it; it's in Muggle London, I hope that's not a problem?"

"No, not at all."

The restaurant was moderately priced, luckily, since Anthony hadn't thought to bring Muggle money specially and had only twenty pounds with him. The imported beef was excellent and the rest of the meal also good. To Anthony's surprise, Percy proved to have a sweet tooth, ordering a caramel-drenched flan when Anthony stuck to a decaffeinated espresso, and convincing him to try a bite.

It _was_ good, but exceedingly sweet. Anthony sipped at his coffee to cut the stickiness and watched Percy practically making love to his spoon as he ate. Percy had relaxed a little bit over the meal, but Anthony immediately dismissed any idea of, for instance, slipping off his shoe and rubbing his toes along the inside of Percy's leg, as he might have done with someone else. Percy would doubtless freeze up again at any public display of affection.

When they had finished, Percy insisted on paying for the meal.

"You needn't," Anthony protested. "I know that," he glanced around and lowered his voice, "you're more used to dating women, and maybe some of _them_ still expect the man to pay, but it's really not done between blokes."

"I want to, though." Percy's expression was stubborn. "I asked you out, so I feel that I should pay."

Anthony raised his hands, then dropped them. "All right, this once. But in the future I'd rather we split expenses, all right?"

"Fine."

Percy flushed, and it took a moment for Anthony to realise it was because Anthony had talked about "in the future," implying that he'd had a nice enough time to want to repeat it. Well, he had, and he did.

"Would you like to come back to my place?" Percy's face was still pink. "For a drink?"

"Of course I would."

When they'd returned to Percy's flat, again Percy poured them both drinks, brandy this time. Sipping his, Anthony felt a lovely warmth steal through his veins. He had resumed his seat on the sofa but now Percy sat at the other end instead of in his own chair, and they talked more comfortably.

"What's it like to be an only child? Being in the middle of seven..." Percy shrugged.

"There are good things about it, and bad, too, of course," Anthony replied. "I had a lot of attention from my parents, certainly, but on the other hand if I did something naughty there was no one else I could blame it on, no one I could talk to if I was mad at my parents. I didn't ever have to wear hand-me-down clothes -- well, a very few, from my older cousin David -- but I didn't have anyone to talk to about things like sex, either."

Percy snorted softly. "It's not always easy to ask those questions even of a brother, you know. Especially when your older brothers are popular and successful and you're just a scrawny swotty kid."

"Maybe," Anthony agreed, "but it must be easier than talking with your father. My dad came to give me 'the talk' when I was sixteen. I think he'd written it out and memorised it in advance, but it was far too little, too late. By then I already suspected that I was queer; I'd spent a good bit of the last month of spring term kissing Ernie Macmillan in various disused classrooms. Not that I told my dad that then. I didn't come out to my parents until I'd left Hogwarts. I just nodded and smiled and told him I didn't have any questions, which seemed to relieve him. He gave me a book as well so that I could look up anything I might have questions about when I was back at school."

Percy gave a gulping sort of chuckle. "Was he a Ravenclaw too?"

"No, a Hufflepuff. My mum was a Ravenclaw though." Anthony squinted at Percy. "I'm rather surprised you weren't one yourself."

"I nearly was, but I begged the Sorting Hat to put me in Gryffindor instead, where my brothers were and my parents had been, and it did."

"I've never figured out how the Hat decides," said Anthony, "but I heard that they retired it, and that the students are now assigned by lot instead?"

"Yes, there was a lot of outcry about that decision, three or four years ago now I suppose." Percy set down his empty glass, stretched, and settled back against the sofa cushions, his eyes sparkling behind his spectacles. "Not just letters to the editor of the _Daily Prophet_ , but to all of the Hogwarts regents, and even the Minister himself. Minister Shacklebolt quite rightly upheld the decision of the Headmistress that the traditional Sorting was divisive rather than promoting unity. So far it seems to be working out fine, although I suppose it will be a few years before we can really tell."

Anthony cocked his head. "You really enjoy working in the Ministry, don't you?"

"It's the best way I know of to make a difference," said Percy simply. "Plus, I like the orderliness of the bureaucracy, even if I have to admit that sometimes the red tape is a bit overdone." He laughed a little self-consciously.

"You're so enthusiastic about it. I don't pay a lot of attention to politics myself. I sometimes feel badly about that, but I never seem to have time," said Anthony. "Perhaps if we spend more time together I'll learn a bit more about what's going on. I think I'd like that, especially if it's you I'm learning from."

"That's," Percy cleared his throat, "that's awfully nice of you to say."

They were silent for a few moments, and Anthony finished his brandy.

"Would you like more?"

Anthony shook his head, deciding to seize the moment. "Percy."

"What?"

"I'd like to kiss you. May I?"

With anyone else he would just have done it, but Percy wasn't that sort.

Percy wetted his lips. "You want to kiss me?"

"Very much." Anthony moved a little closer. "Nothing more, unless you want it."

"All right." Percy visibly took hold of himself and edged toward Anthony as well.

Even sitting, Percy was a bit taller, so Anthony slipped his hands around Percy's narrow shoulders and pulled his head down gently, first brushing their lips together, and then, when Percy made a little noise of pleasure, seeking out the warmth of Percy's mouth with his tongue.

Percy's hands went around Anthony's back, clutching him close.

In response, Anthony stroked Percy's neck, slipping his fingers into Percy's neatly-trimmed hair and pulling the two of them apart just far enough to say, "It's all right, I'm here," before Percy was kissing him again, kisses that were hungry and needy and yet still very _Percy_ , whom Anthony had never before thought of in quite such terms.

Some indeterminate time later, when they'd been kissing long enough for both of their lips to be swollen, and Percy's spectacles to be completely smeared and somewhat askew on his nose, Anthony began unbuttoning Percy's robes, very slowly, waiting to see if Percy would object.

He didn't. He shivered a little bit, but he took off his glasses and set them carefully next to his empty glass on the coffee table, looking at Anthony with wide blue eyes as Anthony laid him bare, right there on the sofa, and made love to him, using hands and mouth to bring Percy to the heights of ecstasy.

The fumbling way that Percy participated and reciprocated, eager yet uncertain, touched Anthony's heart. He knew that Percy had had at least some experience with women, but he was still immensely flattered that Percy had chosen him for his first time with a man.

"I promise I won't think less of you in the morning," he murmured against Percy's chest afterward, and felt rather than heard Percy's laugh.

"I don't think I've ever been this forward on the second date in my life," Percy admitted. "But you were pretty irresistible."

"I'm glad you think so," said Anthony. "That's what I've always thought about you." He tucked his arms more firmly around Percy.

"And I have to tell you something else. Sex with women was always disappointing, somehow... but this was anything but a disappointment," Percy said.

Anthony smiled, and kissed him again.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2009 Percy Ficathon community. Many, many thanks to Emiime for hand-holding.


End file.
